Erik ten Hag baffles Man Utd fans with reason for Marcus Rashford substitution vs Porto

Erik ten Hag substituted Marcus Rashford at half-time during Manchester United’s thrilling 3-3 draw away to Porto on Thursday, despite him scoring and assisting in the first half.

Under-fire Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has left fans perplexed after explaining his controversial decision to pull Marcus Rashford off at half-time against Porto.

On Thursday, the Red Devils drew 3-3 away to Porto in the Europa League, relying on Harry Maguire’s 91st-minute equalizer to escape another humiliating setback. United led 2-0 after 20 minutes, with Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund apparently putting them in cruise control.

However, Ten Hag’s side conceded twice before the interval, and when his squad returned for the second half, Rashford did not play. The 26-year-old had been substituted by Alejandro Garnacho, a decision Ten Hag attributed to ‘rotation’ and the necessity for the Argentine to gain experience.

“We have to rotate,” the Red Devils boss told TNT Sports after the defeat. “Garnacho, we did not start him, but he has had a wonderful season. We have another challenging game on Sunday, so players must be accessible and fresh. We travel swiftly to [Aston] Villa [on Sunday]; they have a day longer, whereas we have an away game.”

Ten Hag’s words perplexed United supporters, with one user on X calling them “bizarre.” [Rashford] plays more when he hasn’t scored in the past 18 months and is dropped or substituted when he does.” A second person commented, “It defies belief. I was confident Rashford had sustained an injury. Baffling decision.”

One fan speculated that Rashford’s replacement was due to his defender’s poor performance. “[He was] also responsible for both Porto goals!” they said. “Their right-back had acres of space to make those crosses.” Another felt that Rashford was terrible defensively. He kept allowing the opponents to get by him. Diogo [Dalot] had his hands full.

Garnacho has four goals and three assists in ten appearances for United this season. In comparison, Rashford currently has four goals and two assists.

Despite just playing 45 minutes, the striker had the most dribbles (three) in the whole game, adding to his goal and assist. Garnacho attempted to recreate that after coming in, taking a total of eight shots, more than any other player on the night.

It was Maguire who finally proved to be United’s saviour in Porto, likely keeping Ten Hag employed for at least three more days – not that he’s evaluating his work yet. “I don’t judge us in this moment,” he subsequently remarked.

“I evaluate us at the conclusion of the season. We’re in the process. Please wait. We need to build this team. We will work and continue. “We’ll fight.”

Maguire also spoke to TNT Sports on his manager’s uncertain future, saying, “I’ve played for this club for six years, so I know how it works. When you have a terrible run, the players and the manager both feel the pressure. He’s had enough experience and time at this club to know how to handle it. It’s part of the luxury of playing for this club.”